HONDA CRF1000L AFRICA TWIN (2016 - 2019) Review

Comfortable tourer but front brakes lack power. It needs a firm squeeze to stop the bike quickly. That said, the rear brakes are better than average.

Excellent fuelling and just enough power if you stay higher up in the reverse range. That said, another 30bhp would be nice

As above, starting problems and rust.

Much cheaper than my previous BMW

The bike came with the complete Honda catalogue of extras when I bought it including luggage, heated grips (which are useless), crash bars, spotlights etc. ABS and traction control work well.

Have always felt a little sponge but the engine brakes well.

It does what I need riding solo always ride with full engine braking.

Currently brilliant

£800+for 16000 miles service tyers front 10000 miles rear 8000 miles running Brighstone A41.

The dct does it job nothing else on the bike

Who needs more power for the road

62mpg!

The brakes are ABS and linked and are spot on, even when the ubquitous numpty 'didn't see me' and pulled out on a bend. I missed him and stayed upright ins spite of having to slam the anchors on in a corner whilst leaned over. Very reassuring. I am not in love with the suspension though. I find it a bit floaty on undulating roads and a tad too harsh on dirt track sections. I understand that is rectifiable with some aftermarket shocks but I haven't got around to it yet.

I've only had one othe paralell twin before, A Triumph Speedmaster 865 (thanks for asking). That was smoother but this Africa Twin had more grunt and pulls strongly as long as you set the gearbox to let it drop gears by selecting Sport on the DCT. If it's left in normal mode, the gears bog the engine down and you find yourself trying to pull from 30MPH in 6th, which is a chore and a bit embarrassing if I'm honest, The minute the engine is up in the right rev range, it drives well and makes great progress in a very undramatic fashion

I have only done 1,500 miles on it and it is still under 11,000 miles oveall but it starts on the button every time and hasn't missed a beat. I even had to leave it for 2 weeks in the bitter cold and it started first time when I came back to it.

I haven't had to service it yet but I am getting 62MPG overall and nothing has gone wrong. As it is a Honda, there are so many parts available to personalise the bike and most at very sensible prices.

For a 2017 bike, I think this is pretty well equipped. It has switchable traction control, ABS, which can be disabled, several driving modes in the gearbox and a Gravel setting which is also surprisingly good in urban riding at slow speeds. It has a limited on board computer but it is the sort of thing I could easily do without. I am so surprised there aren't any heated grips as standard though. Being an off road all weather roughy-toughy kind of bike, you would have thought it was par for the course. I had a 2005 BMW R1150GS, 12 years older than this bike, and that had them as standard. I guess it is a 'price point' thing for Honda. The headlights are powerful but I would love both headlights to be on when in dipped beam. The bike looks like a wonky cyclops with just one eye on but I hate blinding other road users with the main beam. That's just rude. I have to say, I'm not a lover of too many bits of electrickery though , which is why I opted for the early AT and not the 1100, which is much more replete with amany many more buttons and options.

If I'm riding on my own 170 miles when it needs fuel.

I do gear down for over takes

Wheels pitted

Average over 3 years 18000 miles

Keeping with standard tyers Bridgestone running about 10000 miles try to keep to the twisty.

Handles well for a large adventure bike. On the go, the bike feels light and agile, and even at slow speeds and tight manoeuvres I have no issues. I am 5’8 and manage fine with the seat on lowest height setting…albeit it would probably be just a little more manageable if it was 20mm lower. I have done many rides where I have been in the saddle for a couple of hours before taking a break, and I’m confident I could go further without any comfort issues.

I love the twin. Whilst obviously not as smooth as a four, it’s character, it’s sound and it’s flexibility easily make up for that. It’s power and torque is more than enough for brisk real world riding

Has never missed a beat. The bike still looks and feels like brand new, and it has zero corrosion anywhere on it, which is not something I can say about other 2019 bikes I have looked at.

Around 50mpg under normal running.I am happy with that.

My favourite feature is the rider modes, but I have added features that I think the bike should have come with as standard, such as centre stand and a 12v accessory socket. The best accessory that I would recommend is the Eastern Beaver PC8 Power Centre, to which connecting up additional electrical accessories becomes so easy. Others I would recommend are the Upper and Lower Engine Bars (Rugged Roads branded) as these fit and look better on the Africa Twin than ANY others I looked at. They were also good value. I have also fitted a pair of Denali spot lights, which make a huge difference for night riding. The only other accessory that I would like to add, but have not yet done so (and that I feel the bike should have come with as standard) is heated grips…but maybe that is just because most of my riding is in Scotland..!!

I can't give this full marks because I find the suspension tricky to get right and the saddle is limiting in terms of long distance travel. As I said, I have only covered a little over a thousand miles but I would certainly upgrade both the saddle and suspension if I intended to blow the budget and do some serious touring.

Loads of grunt and sounds fab but it doesn't have the immediacy of other 1000cc bikes when it comes to overtaking. That maye be a DCT thing and I certainly find myself manually dropping a gear or two when I am anticipating an overtake. It is an engine you warm to over a few miles though. I always think it takes a while to start to adapt my rising to suit a new bike and that score might be different if I revisit this in another couple of thousand miles.

I can't speak for the reliability yet. I have only had the bike for a few months but everything is bolted togetehr in typical Honda style. It is well thought out too; service items are easy to find and to get at.

Value for money is a relative thing and it is hard to know what you are comparing to when it comes to an Africa Twin. They are certainly well priced from new when compared to the big BMW GS and KTM 1290s and the like but they don't have the same grunt or long distance comfort in my opinion. They are a tad dearer than the Tenere and smaller KTMs but they are perhaps a little less agile on the dirt. However, for a go anywhere and do everything kind of bike, they are extraordinarily affordable. As a used buy, they hold their value rather well, so the cost of depreciation looks like it is less painful than others.

The DCt box is the big difference for me because I have never owned an automatic bike before. The screen is very simple and covers a lot of data if you like that kind of thing. I have a comprehensive computer in my car and I leave it on Speedo and range. I never look at anything else and the same if true of the Honda. The things that are missing are toys really other than heated grips which strikes me as being essential for an off-road bike or it becomes a summer ride only.

A little more power would be good as always

It’s a Honda what else can I say

N/A

After three years, I've had zero problems.

No cruise control, but saying that, you have to hold onto something.

I carry out own Maintenance

Centre stand to me is essential, I would also like as standard accessory electrical plug. Cruise control would be good,lean angle abs not necessary as far as I am concerned

Such grunt and great top-end too - brilliant when off-roading as well as on-roading

best - the easy traction control etc etc

Nice and comfortable, did Stuttgart to Carlisle in 18 an half hour .

Mile muncher.bomb proof

Honda, wot do you expect.

Have added loads of extras for touring and camping.Bigger screen, panniers,large footpegs,and kaoko cruise control.

Not the smoothest of engines.

Honda heated grips are too weak

60mpg!

OEM Dunlops didn’t inspire confidence in the wet

Sweet and smooth performance plenty enough for any rider in all conditions and travel options

The Africa Twin is certainly a head Turner especially in the Red,White and Black colour scheme.

After 4+ years now covered 24,000 miles

Don’t like the fact damp enters cutout and starter button compartment but wd40 works wonders

For a big old bike with quite a bit of weight, off road inspired suspension and skinny tyres, it’s a blast. I am quicker on this than on the S1000RR. The handling is so nice. It swings through the bends and instills confidence. Not razor sharp of course. But fun.

Great for what it is. My wife had an ER5 which was a parallel twin with half the cubes of the AT. The ATs engine is easily twice that of the ER5. It pulls really well, you can ride the torque and rev it to the limiter if you wish. It also makes a fairly decent noise. Thw DCT gearbox is fun but may be a novelty.

So far, so good.

Other than servicing and consumables I expect the AT to be easy to own and maintain.

Loads of kit which I love. The luggage is really good. It’s plastic and not aluminium which is a shame. I find the heated grips fine. The led lights are extremely good. The optional fog lights are incredible.

Suspension is brilliant if a little soft but it handles amazingly well for a bike with a 21 inch front wheel. Brakes are strong and progressive, ABS is top quality and you don’t feel it through the levers but really work we’ll in the wet. Very impressive, far better than the BMW R1200 gs but that maybe the weight difference...

Engine is typically Honda, super quiet with virtually no valve noise. Gearbox is smooth and has never missed a selection. 1st gear is too high in my opinion, uphill pull offs feel like your murdering the clutch but it hasn’t appeared to cause any damage or problems. Riding with a pillion saps the power compared to the BMW so motorway overtakes need planning at anything over 80 but it’s absolutely perfect on your own.. Another 20 Hp would transform the bike but that shouldn’t put anyone off these bikes.

Wheels corroded and were replaced twice, I was really disappointed because the rest of the bike is still brilliant. Still on the original battery Chain and sprockets and brake pads at 14k. Luggage is water tight. It’s had a few hard laps at the TT which destroyed the front tyre which normally last 6k.

I’m a bit OCD with servicing so it had the oil and filter changed at 100 miles and then 600. Being a bike tech I know that 99% of wear happens when the oil is contaminated so I change it after the first ride on all my new vehicles. After that it’s every 3000 regardless.

Full LED lighting is very impressive and the optional fog lights make night riding a pleasure, the stock Dunlop tyres are a challenge in the wet, but absolutely fine in the dry. Center stand is an option but works brilliantly and well worth fitting on its PDI. The original heated grips (optional) were appalling, they were Luke warm at best and at £450 were a joke but after 12 months they had a fix with a new controller, fitted free thank goodness.. Traction control on maximum is very intrusive on the loose stuff but it’s fine on the road wet or dry. On minimum it’ll hang the back wheel out on a wet road but you’ll crap yourself when it steps out because it’s a big old bus.

300 miles, i have a back problem

Rust on the frame, coating on fasteners poor

DCT

Does exactly what it's built for. You can't ride it like a sportsbike and expect to be launching around hairpins at breakneck speeds, but what riding you do will be comfortable and fun.

Not the quickest, but buckets of torque down low and easy to lift the wheel in first gear.

Bike was perfect and on the button for the first 18 months of ownership but then developed an intermittent starting problem that despite the dealer replacing a multitude of parts was still present. The other issue I had was corrosion, despite several baths of ACF. Two sets of wheels replaced with corrosion and every other bit of the bike showing signs of it. The rear suspension adjuster corroded stuck despite being used often and the lads in the store had to free it up for me.

About £200 a year to service it and keep the warranty valid, not a bad price to be honest.

Traction control was good, albeit a little agricultural but saved me a few times. LCD display is basic, but shows all the information you need when riding - why would you need more? OEM tyres are shockingly bad, but this has been the case for most new bikes I've bought. Replaced with a pair of Metzeler Tourance Nex and they stick like s**it on a rug.

Few more local dealers would be handy.

Ride quality is great, seating position is commanding and comfortable. Brakes are great as well but due to the nature of the bike heavy front braking creates a lot of fork dive.

Torquey, fast, fun inducing, sleeper. This engine is a masterpiece. first gear wheelies and that exhaust note with a can on is to die for. Like the devil clearing its throat. power delivery is all down low. the powerband is mostly brutal at lower revs but the band is still present in all RPMs leading to red line.

Major front brake failure but I am the only case of this and Honda replaced immediately, so i'll let it slide. Fasteners and bolts furring within 4 months. This is around the brakes area, banjo bolts, bolts holding caliper on, brake line all corroded so badly. Axel bolt and axel has slight rusting on it....

unfair rating as I'm used to a oil + filter service costing around £40 and a full around £80 as I do all my own servicing on my bikes but due to the warranty restrictions I had to pay for a service. £129 for an oil & filter + chain health check and lube is ridiculously over priced. The dealers are really reaping in the cash by pulling your trousers down and having at it, minus the dinner date. - this is on the cheaper side! I've heard people paying £189 for the same thing! the bike itself is cheap with a great 55mpg return, around 200 miles to a tank!

It was the perfectly equipped bike. Fuel gauge, how long you've been on the bike, trips, down to empty range and ambient temp. for me it has everything, I hate overly electrified bikes with electronic dampening and lean angle sensor etc, just shouts ISSUES in the future to me. this bike isn't too electrified but not completely bare bones Honda nailed the equipment. I'd suggest tinted screen, exhaust and new rubbers as the stock are shocking in the wet.

Smooth and torque, sound brilliant too

Bullet proof

It's OK, my last dirt/street bike was an old (1991) Aprilia Tuareg, I put a Wilbers shock on it it braked and handled about the same as the africa twin. It's not a lot of progress for 25 years.

Dull

500 miles and the spokes rotted and have to be replaced under warranty. Rust everywhere despite acf 50!

Cheap to run

The traction control is good to have in winter.

Outstanding brakes and suspension is sublime with every adjustment you could want or need, only trouble is I wouldn't know how to set it up, still the rear pre-load was wound up 4 clicks and it is perfectly balanced.

65 mpg during running-in so I expect the same or better in the future.

It is a new Honda!

8000 mile service intervals, probably £250 for second service.

Has everything you are realistically ever going to need except a center stand and fenda extenda, which Suttons Homnda fitted for me. I purchased the lower seat as well as the standard one but the standard one does the job perfectly well on the higher or lower setting (I'm 5 ft 10in).

Simply the most comfortable bike I have owned, even more so than a Pan European or 1100 BMW, braking is immediate and has great feedback, even in hard braking I haven't triggered the ABS yet.

It could have a little more grunt, but it's a joy from low rev toddling or dragging around some twisty A roads, not the beefiest out there but certainly adequate.

No issues, bought used with 1000 miles on the clock with a load of extras.

Easy to cruise at 80mpg or better, not a thirsty bike unless you are riding flat out everywhere.

Bought mine with loads of extras already aboard, heated grips, full luggage, scott oiler, crash bar, spot lights, basically the full kit. Its all good quality and works as it should, the top box closing mechanism feels a little weird but it is sturdy and works well.

It's a softly sprung, comfortable bike. I share none of the complaints from some people about the rear shock etc. If you wind up the preload and damping a bit then it becomes a lot more taught and stable at 100mph+ speed, but then you lose the lovely soft ride. Simple, really. For luggage, I put a couple of extra clicks on the rear shock and it's fine.

A lovely exhaust note (especially with REMUS can) and is really lively at the top end. On the open road, roll-on acceleration against an R1200 LC is remarkably close from 30-120mph. Surprisingly little in it. It's plenty for road use but of course doesn't thrill like a 150bhp bike. The upside is good economy. Sometimes needs two presses of the button to start it - quite sensitive to battery condition.

Generally very good. As is well documented, the spokes corrode too easily. I don't understand why Honda don't just use stainless spokes. Charge another £50 if you have to! To be fair, DOBLES replaced the entire wheels front and rear under warranty and the new ones do seem better, although they are still plated, not stainless. Also, the left hand switch gear failed quickly due to a sticky button. Again sorted under warranty and the new unit has been fine.

Around £12k for this bike is good, I think, especially compared to BMW and KTMs at £18k. It was the usual dealer rip off for an oil change at service time, around £180. I'm not fooled by the 'we check everything' BS. But they're all the same. Fuel economy very good at 58mpg if you go steady. Down to 45mpg if you cane it, which is good fun of course.

The torque control works well, DCT works well, engine strong enough, nice soft ride. I love the bike's playful nature for a big adventure bike. Feels 'up for it'. Factory heated grips are POOR. Come on Honda, they only get medium warm. My £40 OXFORD ones on my other bikes are much better. I don't get on with the standard screen, so I fitted an MRA lip which then makes it perfect.

Very powerful brakes with very good ABS system, saved my bacon an a damp road covered with a diesel spill! Ride superb once you crank up the pre-load a few clicks on the rear suspension, then a few more clicks if you put liggage on the back. At high speed over the rough mountain passes of Italy and France my AT glided over seriously broken-up roads - really astonishing suspension.

The best part of the bike the engine, powerful, flexible and frugal. I changed the oil every 4000 miles not 8000 like Honda recommend and this seemed to pay dividends in terms of economy averaging 70 mpg over the last 1000 miles.

Outstanding build quality save the mode switch on the LHS which stuck from the first few hundred miles. Honda ran out of spares so it took months to get the warranty part, other than that its a Honda with outstanding reliability which is why I purchased it rather than a BMW.

I averaged 70 mpg from the South of France back to the UK - excellent, really pleased!

I was put out by having to spend several hundred pound for a centre stand and 12v socket and the 12v socket did not hold my GPS cable in meaning I had to push it back in every 15 minutes - irratating. At £11k Honda should factory fit the 12v socket.

2 for suspension, 5 for brakes so I give it a 3.

It is a hoot, I give it 5 for that. Underpowered as a fast tarmac tourer though it can't be knocked for that, it is nolt sold as a road tourer.

Gets 3 as is has never left me stranded. Spokes rotting, starting can occasionally be problematic.

12 months Service (no valve adjustment or air filter). MPG reasonable, I expect the running costs to be reasonably low.

My 2016 has no ABS, Traction, Cruise or much else but I bought it like that in the full knowledge of the spec so I can't knock that. Not putting a single 12v socket on was a bit miserable though and it is labour intensive for a dealer or yourself to fit. That is Honda trying to ingratiate themselves with dealers for lucrative "vale-add" services.

Excellent ride in all conditions. The things that let this bike down are cost cutting issues which are a false economy and ruin the experience slightly. They don't alter the riding experience which is brilliant.

Tractable, frugal engine with plenty of power on tap when riding solo. Not fair to judge on two up, fully loaded touring as it's not really built to excel in that department as standard.

'Set' button on left switch stuck after 200 miles, replaced under warranty. Shiny spokes turned black after 500 miles, waited 6 months for a Honda fix but replaced last month with like for like. Despite been treated with ACF50 new spokes appear to be turning too. Starting problem due to kill/start switch but fixed by a strip down and clean but I'm sure soon the switch will need replacing.

OEM tyres are terrible. Replaced with Continental TrailAttack which transform the road handling.

The ride is comfortable enough. I need to add engine bars and highway pegs to for long trips. The front dives a bit under hard braking, but it really stops well.

I traded bikes for half a day with my buddy with the BMW1200. He couldn't get over the power of my little Honda. Go figure. The power band is long, steady, and strong. I'm really impressed with the motor.

Starts every time

It's around $200 every 4,000 miles for dealer service

The bike is comfortable to ride. Narrow at the waist and easy to stand up. I got the 12V accessory jack, the centre stand, the top box (with mounting bracket), and the tall windshield from Honda. I've also added side racks, Adventure Spec soft bags, bark busters, a throttle lock, and a Airhawk seat cushion. It works for me.

Reliability is excellent - its is a Honda!. Poor finish on some components (wheels, engine bars and bolts and clips all replaced under warrantee)

£160 for 8000 mile service on the DCT (2 oil filters)

After markets panniers and frame protectors are better value than the OEM Honda equipment

Don't put luggage on the thing! Don't carry a pillion it will be ok ish, otherwise the handling goes to pot and a 5 bar gate with a hinge in the middle would be a better ride

very under powered for a 1000cc twin its more like a 650 v strom

it cuts out and stalls a lot Honda says there is nothing wrong!

if you can work out how to read the dash info its ok, Honda panniers look good but leak water when it rains but very expensive rubbish

Brakes five star, rear suspension 2 star, massively undersprung if you loads this bike up pillion and gear. Average weight solo rider no problem, heavy load adventure touring or pillion useless. My one and only real gripe with this bike. This bikes handling does not inspire confidence scratching around twisty b-roads. You have to know that and drive accordingly, slow into corner, power out.

just magic, enough power, had bikes with 60 more BHP than this and didn't enjoy them as much, "less is more".

Everything seems high quality and well put together. Many owners complaining of spokes tarnishing, mine are fine. I expect reliability to be superb given the lack of electronic gizmos etc.

A lot of bike for the price, cant fault that. Buy it now, Brexit will add another £1500 to the asking price, just watch!

I have the base model so there is pretty much no equipment, e.g. no USB chargers, power sockets etc. I still give it 5 stars though because of the price, it reflects that. I can add those myself. I am 6ft, regular front screen is perfect at speed. I also have the Honda panniers, I like them a lot, simple fitting and use the ignition key to lock.

Ride is surperb, happy filtering in traffic or on gravel roads. nice postive feel to brakes and rear abs can be turned off great for off road.

Smooth loads of torque, pulls well 2 up which surpised me as its less than 95 BHP

Usual Honda quality, well thought out, only a 1000 miles but reliability is excellent....

Quite a big job to remove panels which will add to service costs i would imagine...

LED lights are a real bonus,

Great bike so far on the road very comfy 200 mile trip so far, pillion advised it was very comfy.

Just right for its purpose plenty of grunt when required and to have fun.

Honda as usual fantastic build quality and reliability no question.

First service with top box fitted

For the money it is well equipped, top box added so far will have other items added when required seen lots of the accessories good quality as always.

The bike is a genuine all-rounder, so there is a natural balance between what makes it good off road and what makes it good on road and therefore, there is a small amount of compromise - as with all of them. The Africa Twin feels better balanced than the big KTMs off road due to the mass centralisation of weight and that compact engine and it handles almost as well as the KTMs on tarmac, tackling twisty b-roads brilliantly and far better than you'd expect. However, I found it to be more comfortable than the KTM 1190 and the 1190 R over distance, with less vibration, a far superior seat and the engine/clutch/power delivery are also more civilised on the Honda, particularly in town. That said, it isn't as plush as a sofa-comfy BMW 1200GS if massive autobahn distances are your thing (not much is) but it is a fine distance bike nonetheless and will be much more manageable when you do get it in the dirt. It is also very slim, so commuting and filtering are a doddle. I haven't taken a pillion any distance on it yet, but it looks perfectly adequate and I've happily ridden 250 solo miles through the Derbyshire and Yorkshire dales before stopping, with no discomfort at all. Brakes are good with plenty of feedback, but you do get a fair bit of fork dive - as with most conventional suspension set-ups.

The perfect engine for this type of bike. It is a strong motor and gives all the power you could possibly use on tarmac with an 18/21" wheel combination. I have never felt that I'd wish for more power - it's substantially more lively than an 1150GS and more comparable to a Triumph Tiger 1050 than the 800cc Triumphs people insist on pitting it against. Really, it's in another league. The Africa Twin engine drives the bike extremely well out of corners, has a very smooth, linear acceleration which finds you in illegal speed territory far sooner than your senses tell you and has more character than any other parallel twin I've tried. It's not quite like a v-twin for that lunging power delivery, but Honda has done a great job of making a really compact and well-balanced powerplant which is well settled at speed and only matched by single cylinder bikes in off road applications. 70-80mph cruising only demands about 4,000 revs so it hums away nicely.

Honda. Enough said... Although, for those of you who haven't owned a BMW, I'll say this. Honda provide a top class finish on their bikes and after years of dismay watching my various GS's rusting, shedding paint from the cylinders and generally deteriorating almost before my eyes - it is a delight to go back to a bike that doesn't do this! I've ridden the bike through rivers, mud, salt, rain and all other UK associated challenges and it cleans down easily. Granted, it's a new bike, but having owned Hondas in the past, I'm confident this one will hold up just as well. Another point is that my previous BMWs would cough a bit after a pressure wash which was probably a bit of moisture ingress into the electronics, the AT doesn't skip a beat. Stock exhaust probably weighs a ton (they all do) but it sounds superb. There are also other nice touches such as the colour coded bar-ends, integrated grip-switch for the heated grips, complete absence of engine pipes and cables to get snagged etc which make it a really classy machine. Chain drive isn't much of a bother and you know it's not going to be a massive problem if it goes wrong.

Servicing costs are reasonable, service intervals at 7500m are fine, but fuel consumption is exceptionally good. Honda accessories also seem competitively priced.

Standard set up is great. The Dunlop TR91 tyres inspire confidence, allowing you to get the best out of the bike on the road and they do a reasonable job on gravel. This is matched by superb, silky suspension with longer travel than any other large adventure bike. I'd recommend the centre stand as a well-needed accessory and you would want to swap to TKC 80's or Karoo 3 tyres if you plan any real mud-plugging. The traction control is dead easy to use, very effective in its different setting modes and can be switched off without fuss, as can the rear wheel ABS.

so easy to be fast without fuss with it!

definitely adapted to the bike and I do not need extra power on B roads to be fast. Low revs grunt, Top end decent power, all I need

Honda quality, no bull, only the necessary electronics without the headaches my friends encounter with their KTM adventure or GS 1200 suspensions.

maintenance every 7500 miles, a set of tyres now and then

No need of sophisticated electronics to be efficient

The suspension is supple and does a great job of dealing with any bumps in the road. Ive not taken it off road yet but road wise its really composed and it glides over those potholes and bumps that sports bikes get all upset over. Although the suspension is supple it seems to do a good job of not pitching back and forward when hard on the throttle or brakes. The handling is much better than you would think. It turns well and is stable and composed. I would not want to be going much faster on the road than this bike can go. The bike looks tall at a standstill but is easy to paddle about as its got huge luggage/grab rails on the back which make it easy to push about. Im 5'9'' tall and can get both feet flat on the floor when sitting on the bike with the seat in its lowest of two settings. Its a nice place to be when on the move, you sit upright and get a good view of the world around you and its very comfortable. Big miles would be easy. The fairing is surprisingly good and during a recent downpour the only part of me to get the worst of it was my lower legs and feet.

The engine is really smooth but has a off beat feel about it. It suits the bike well and sounds good from the seat of the bike. The standard exhaust sounds good for a stock one and pops on the overrun. Speed wise, its deceptive due to the smoothness of the engine. It does hustle along although not 1000cc sports bike fast, more VFR 800. The performance of the engine seems to suit the style and ride of the bike nicely.

So far so good, but it is nearly new. The paint looks good and the finish of the bike is lovely. The Gold wheels look fantastic and the switchgear and dash is classy. At night the dash is backlit Blue and looks really good. The headlights are very good at night.

It is averaging around 50 miles to the gallon at the moment but as the engine loosens up i expect that to get better.

It has traction control and ABS so safety is covered. The dash has loads of info on it and is easy to get to. It doesn't have the bells and whistles of some of the competition.